


An Unlikely Bond

by ZellieAlmasy



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Sense8 (TV) Fusion, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-01
Updated: 2015-08-01
Packaged: 2018-04-12 09:16:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4473713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZellieAlmasy/pseuds/ZellieAlmasy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An alternate Thedas where Dorian and Cullen share a mental connection, inspired by Sense8.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Unlikely Bond

When the visions first began, Cullen thought he was losing his mind.  He was still a young Templar recruit and spent the entire day struggling through his training with a skull-splitting headache.  At the time, he didn’t think much of it.  He was too focused on fulfilling his dream of becoming a Templar to allow a mere headache to get in his way.

However, while he rested in the barracks for the evening, he was awakened by the sounds of creaking bedsprings and heavy panting.  Who could be so shameless as to do such a thing in a room full of other men?  Cullen pulled a pillow over his head, hoping to muffle the noises, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t ignore what was happening just a few feet away from his own cot.

Cullen sat up, prepared to yell at the culprits to go find someplace more secluded, but as he took in his surroundings, he fell speechless.  This wasn’t the barracks.  He was in what appeared to be a brothel room, with two men quite vigorously engaged in their intimate activities.

“Maker’s breath!” he gasped, starting to feel panicked.

Hearing Cullen’s interjection, one of the men pulled away from his partner, scrambling to cover himself with the blanket as he stared at Cullen with bright gray eyes.  “How did you get in here?”

“Quiet down, Rutherford!"  One of the other recruits hissed.  Blinking, Cullen looked around and saw that he was, in fact, still in his barracks.

But that naked man was still there, wearing nothing but a thin linen sheet in the middle of room filled with Templars.

"You don’t see the man?” Cullen asked the recruit.  “There’s a naked man.  Right here!"  But when he turned to look again, the man was gone.  "He was just–”

The recruit snorted and rolled over.  “Dream about naked men all you like, just let me sleep.”

Is that what this was?  A dream?  It couldn’t be.  It felt so  _real._

—-

“Is everything all right?  Why don’t you come back to bed?" the whore purred, beckoning for Dorian to return to him.

"Yes…"  The mage tentatively replied as he looked around the room.  Everything appeared normal again, not a sleeping soldier in sight.  "Yes, I’m fine.  Just thought I saw something.  It must have been a shadow."  He had no idea what had just happened, but whatever it was, it easily killed the mood.  "I’m sorry, I should go.”

Dorian reached for his purse, leaving a few gold coins on the nightstand before he began to clothe himself.  The prostitute didn’t seem to mind, so long as he was getting paid.

—-

It wasn’t long before Dorian’s spree of debauchery came to an end.  A Magister soon found him in his brothel.  It could have been ruinous for Dorian and his family, but Alexius was kind enough to take him in as his personal student.  Dorian accepted the offer and continued on with his life, hardly thinking twice about the brothel incident from before.  He did have a lot of wine that evening and probably just wasn’t thinking straight.

However, there were a few more inexplicable occurrences that happened every now and again. One morning, Dorian felt as though he could barely move.  It was nothing like the morning after a rough night of sex, which he hadn’t done recently, anyway.  His entire body ached as if he had done a full day of hard labor.

Miles away in Ferelden, Cullen pushed his body to its limits.  He was determined to do whatever it took to become a full-fledged Templar.

—-

All Cullen’s hard work was soon rewarded.  He took his final vows and joined the ranks of the Templars at Kinloch Hold.  It was his duty to execute any abominations that came of a failed Harrowing.  At the time it felt like an honor to be given this position, especially at such a young age.

When he finally was required to execute a mage, unfortunately, it wasn’t at all what Cullen expected.  The young mage’s body contorted as the demon took over.  An inhuman cry echoed throughout the room.  Cullen tightly gripped his sword, watching in fear and awe as the transformation from human to abomination began.

“It’s too late for him, Rutherford,” one of the other Templars called out.  “You know what must be done.

Without another moment of hesitation, his blade fell upon the abomination, and it was over.

Cullen couldn’t shake the image from his mind.  Just thinking about that scream made his skin crawl.  Later that evening, he sat alone at the bank of Lake Calenhad, reflecting on what had happened.  He wanted to be a Templar to help people, yet he just had to end a man’s life.  He could see the pain in his eyes as the demon began to transform him.

No, he told himself, it wasn’t a man’s life he had ended - it was an abomination.  What happened was unfortunate, Cullen reasoned, but there was nothing else he could have done to help that mage.

"So this is the Ferelden Circle of Magi?” A voice suddenly spoke up beside Cullen.  “How barbaric.”

Startled, the Templar quickly turned to face the very same naked man that appeared in his barracks not that long ago.  Thankfully, he was fully clothed this time.  “You again?  Is this real?”

“This certainly isn’t the Fade, I can tell you that much.”

That hardly answered any of Cullen’s questions. “Who are you?”

“My name is Dorian,” the young man replied with a haughty tone, “of House Pavus of Quarinus.”

“Quarinus?"  The gears turned in Cullen’s head as he put two and two together.  A man this well-dressed from a major Tevinter city could only mean…  "You’re a Magister?”

Dorian rolled his eyes.  “Altus,” he corrected with a scoff.  “Typical Southerner.  I suppose next you’re going to ask me if I practice blood magic.”

Judging by the look on Cullen’s face, Dorian added with an unamused glare, “I don’t.  But I will say at least your Tevene is quite impressive.”

“I don’t speak Tevene."  Cullen raised an eyebrow, baffled by this entire situation.

Dorian chuckled softly.  "You’re speaking it now, Ser Rutherford.”

“And I never told you my name."  Cullen tensed, wary of this mysterious stranger.

Odd.  Somehow, Dorian knew this young man was Cullen Rutherford, new to the Templar order.  He was also aware that Cullen felt distressed at having taken a mage’s life earlier in the day.  It was more than just knowing.  Dorian could  _sense_ the way Cullen felt.  It would appear that they were somehow mentally linked.

Cullen, on the other hand, was beginning to wonder if perhaps he was being haunted by some perverted Tevinter ghost.  All he wanted was just a moment alone.  Cullen excused himself and returned to the hold, hoping to be rid of whatever Dorian was supposed to be.

—-

The little incident at the lake gave Cullen some concern, but he didn’t dare mention anything to the other Templars, or even the enchanters.  He wasn’t about to destroy his childhood dream by casting any sort suspicion upon himself.

At least his ghost theory was soon out of the question.  Not even a full week later, Cullen walked through Kinloch’s halls, same as any other day, but as he turned a corner, he suddenly found himself in a very unfamiliar room.

It appeared to be a library, with books lining the walls of the entire room.  The architecture was very old, like nothing Cullen had ever seen, and there was a chandelier that seemed to float as if by some sort of enchantment.  He finally noticed the ornate, mahogany desk near one of the windows, and of course, the man sitting behind it was the very same Dorian "of House Pavus” that kept bothering Cullen lately.

“You again?” the Templar frowned, folding his arms over his chest.

“Do you mind?” Dorian replied with a heavy sigh.  “I’m trying to study."  There were piles of books on the floor near the desk, and three more that were open in front of Dorian as he quickly scribbled away on a piece of parchment.

"Then send me back,” Cullen demanded. “It wasn’t my choice to show up in… wherever this is.”

“Asariel, in Magister Gereon Alexius’ estate.”

The title “Magister” instantly alarmed the Templar.  He couldn't be away from this place fast enough. “Take me back to Ferelden!”

“Believe me, I would love nothing more.  If I had the power to summon strapping young men, a Templar would be my last choice.  I’m honestly surprised you haven’t tried to lock me up, yet.”

Cullen noticed the subtle compliment, causing him to blush slightly.  Before he could respond, however, a soft voice tentatively spoke up from the doorway.  “Dorian?” A younger boy entered the room, dressed in robes as elegant as Dorian’s.  “Is somebody here?  It sounded like you were talking.”

Cullen’s hand quickly found the hilt of his sword.  He was certain that he had been caught and was determined not to let these Tevinters take him without a fight.  But as the boy glanced around the room, he showed no indication that he was aware of Cullen’s presence.

“Nothing to worry about, Felix,” Dorian replied with a polite smile.  It seemed that he was the only one who could see Cullen while he was here, and vice versa for when they were in Ferelden.  “Just thinking aloud to myself.”

“I’ve brought you some tea and cake,” Felix offered, setting a tray nearby.  “No need to work yourself too hard.  Father is already impressed with your progress.  Just don’t tell him I told you that.”

Doran thanked Felix, and as the boy took his leave, it seemed Cullen had disappeared as well.  So far, their little visits with one another seemed random and out of control.  Determined to figure out what exactly was happening, Dorian set aside his current reading and began searching the books for any answers as to what this could be.

—-

Cullen wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for Dorian.  At the time, however, it was difficult to feel grateful.  He should have died that night the maleficar ransacked Kinloch Hold.  So many good men died that night.  Why was he one of the few who deserved to live?

For Dorian, the day passed just like any other.  He fell asleep reading in bed, then suddenly, he awakened in a cold, stone room surrounded by a magical barrier with demons attempting to antagonize him.  This clearly wasn’t the fade, so the next logical conclusion was that this had something to do with his odd connection to Cullen.

At Dorian's skill level, he was easily able to shut out the demons.  Cullen, however...  Dorian could clearly feel the man's pain.  However, this time was different from before.  He wasn't just visiting, as they had done before.  It was almost like he  _was_  Cullen.  The Templar's resistance was quite impressive, but Dorian knew he wouldn't last much longer without help.

Dorian quickly identified the cage encircling him as a spirit barrier.  With a few sparks from his fingers, he was able to break through the magic that had trapped Cullen.  The mage had never been to Ferelden, let alone Kinloch Hold, but he managed to take the knowledge from Cullen that he needed to navigate this place.

Most of the dangers had already been eliminated by the Grey Warden that had arrived, but as Dorian turned a corner, a rage demon appeared and quickly slid across the floor towards him.  Without hesitation, Dorian extended his hand and blasted the demon with a burst of ice.  Once the creature was frozen solid, Dorian hurried past and continued his way down the tower.

As he heard the noise of Greagoir and the other Templars in the distance, Dorian relaxed his concentration, and Cullen safely returned to his Knight-Commander.

Back in Asariel, Dorian sat up in bed, holding his face in his hands.  He had no idea what just happened.  This was more than just a telepathic connection.  He worked through Cullen, sharing his magical ability.  And how did Cullen even find himself in such an awful position, anyway?  Dorian couldn't help but feel concerned for the other man.  He laid awake in bed for the rest of the night, not sure if he was feeling anxiety on his own, or if he was still feeling Cullen's emotions as well.

\----

After the night at Kinloch, Dorian couldn't shake the worry he felt for Cullen. It made no sense. They had never even met in person, but they clearly shared some sort of connection. These visits between Cullen and Dorian seemed to happen by chance, but there had to be a way to control this. For days, Dorian spent his spare time trying to visit Cullen.  
  
He wasn't sure how he finally managed it, but Dorian finally found himself in the cold, unpleasant halls of Kinloch Hold once again. Scorch marks still marred the walls and the overturned bookcases had yet to be set upright again. Cullen leaned silently against a window sill, staring blankly out at the lake. Now that Dorian was here, looking at him, the mage didn't even know where to begin. There was nothing he could possibly say to make the Templar feel better, but Dorian couldn't just ignore this.  
  
“Cullen--” Dorian began, but froze as soon as Cullen turned to face him. After he saved the man's life, Dorian expected that he might be grateful to see a familiar face, but there was a darkness in his eyes that the mage had never seen before.  
  
“Maleficar,” Cullen hissed at him. “This was _your_ doing.”  
  
“Don't be ridiculous. I saved your life.”  
  
“Get out of my head!” Cullen shouted, hands tugging at his own hair.  
  
This all happened because of mages. Why should Cullen trust Dorian over all the others? The last thing he needed was these hallucinations of a soon-to-be Magister who was capable of what Cullen believed to be mind control. He was barely coherent by the time Dorian stepped in to rescue him, but Cullen remembered enough of what happened, that he somehow used magic in his escape. The Templar had no idea how that was possible, nor did he care to find out. All he knew was that it must have been Dorian's doing, somehow, and he refused to allow it to happen again.  
  
“You have an odd sense of gratitude,” Dorian replied, glaring in frustration. If that's how Cullen felt, then fine. He could deal with this alone, if that's what he wanted. The mage left Cullen alone and returned to his own studies.

 

**Author's Note:**

> This was another one that was given to me as a prompt, and WHUPS it got a little out of hand. I even tried skimming over some parts, but it's still turning out pretty long, so I decided to split it into two parts!! This is another prompt where I could definitely expand on it further and go more in-depth and break it into parts, but I don't wanna stick too many irons in the fire quite yet. I've also done my best to try and figure out a parallel timeline with their backstories. If I'm a bit off on anything then... oooopps sry.


End file.
